AGENDA April 28-May 2

Homework from Friday: Found poems
Weekly Homework: Find your poem, get it approved, and begin memorizing it. Use list of suggestions.

Notes:
*April is National Poetry Month.
*On May 2nd, at the Center for the Arts, student work from our 3rd Quarter Belief Project will be displayed. Some students will read their poems and essays. You will receive postcard invitations in the mail. Event is from 4:30-6:30. PLEASE COME to support our students!!!
*Students need to bring money for Post-PAWS-Pizza-Party. Party is May 7th for periods 1&4 and May 8th for periods 5&6.
*Final WNB due on May 9 (entries 17-25)
*Wednesday is a late arrival day. Students come at 9:40. Periods 1-4 only that day.
*Poetry Alive on Wednesday April 30: 1:40-2:25.
*Mary Oliver will be speaking at Walk Festival Hall on May 8. Free tickets available at Teton County Library with valid library card.
*Remember 4th Quarter Enrichment options. See me with your choices.

Essential Questions
➢ What was the Harlem Renaissance?
➢ How does poetry reflect and preserve culture?
➢ Can poetry function as resistance/revolution?

April 28
Share found poems
Introduce PHASE ONE OF SPEAKING AND LISTENING: Memorize and perform a poem – performances are May 7 and 8 – work with a partner. This partner will be your support figure, your debate partner, and your main student grader. Final performance grades will be averaged – partner grade, self grade, teacher grade.
*Distribute Assignment guidelines and grading rubric
*Distribute list of poets as suggestions
Weekly Homework: Find your poem, get it approved, and begin memorizing it

Poetry Selection:
Langston Hughes – Weary Blues, Dreams, and Theme for English B
Countee Cullen – Harlem Shadows and A Song of Praise
Bronx Masquerade Selction: Doubtless p. 118
*Terms: allusion, personification, simile, metaphor, extended metaphor, symbol

April 29
Read Aloud: Bronx Masquerade selection: Black Box p. 84 and For The Record p. 79
WNB 24: What bothers you about society or your position in it? What does it look like? How do you confront it? How can you conquer or resolve your conflict with it?
Now: Create a poem from your responses in WNB 24

April 30
LATE ARRIVAL DAY
POETRY ALIVE 1:40-2:25
Administrivia – check in with kids on poems

May 1
Read Aloud: Bronx Masquerade Selection
NLR: Mini-performance workshop: Eye contact, gestures, intonation
Writing Workshop: Finish and share Society Poems
*Sparker – Maya Angelou – Still I Rise

May 2
Bring poems to class for approval/pick partners

Poetry Selection: Women of the H.R.
Jessie Redmond Fauset
Gwendolyn Bennett
Mae Cowdrey

Collaborative Annotation

*HW for Monday: Annotate your poem and bring it to class on Monday.

MAGNETIC POETRY!!!

Remember -- posting your magnetic poem is one of your 4th quarter E.C. options. Post it to the top of this page and INCLUDE A TITLE AND YOUR NAME!!! See magnetic poetry link on right side of page.

AGENDA APRIL 21-25

WELCOME BACK!!! Hope everyone had an excellent vacation!!!

Notes:
*Homework Help Tuesday after school
*Get binders ready for Poetry/Speech Unit
*April is National Poetry Month!!!
*R.A.P. Sign-up Deadline is April 27. Visit Teton County Library or call 733-2164 ext. 103
*Post PAWS Pizza Party - May 7 (1st and 4th) & 8 (5th and 6th). Students need to bring contributions to party organizers.

Weekly Homework: WNB 21 (See below)


Unit Focus Skills:

➢ Creating imagery
➢ Using literary techniques
➢ Poetry terminology
➢ Classification of Poems
➢ Dueling and debate
➢ Annotating Poetry
➢ Targeting an audience
➢ Memorizing and reciting
➢ Analyzing poetry
➢ Speaking and listening for different purposes
➢ Instructing an audience

***Enrichment credit options: These serve as your 4th quarter extra credit options and can be completed at any point before June 2nd.***

1)Participate in R.A.P. Sign up deadline is April 27. Visit Teton County Library for details. (30 points)

2)Post your magnetic poem on our blog (15 points)

3)Post comments (5 THOUGHTFUL, INTERESTING RESPONSES required) to the magnetic poems posted on our blog. YOU MUST INCLUDE YOUR NAME AND POST IN THE CORRECT PLACE FOR CREDIT. (15 points)

4)Read Bronx Masquerade by Nikki Grimes and attend a roundtable discussion (time T.B.A.) (30 points)

5)Close poet study. Read and annotate ten poems by the same author. Write two pages of overview on poet’s life and work. Attend guidance sessions (twice during lunch). (30 points)

6)Find one revolutionary, contemporary poet. Perform two of his/ her poems for the class and give a short overview of her/his life and works. (30 points)

7)Podcast your graduation speech and drop it into Open Access Folder: Flammang JHMS Graduation Speeches (15 points)


Essential Questions

➢ What is poetry?
➢ How is poetry a form of communication?
➢ Why does poetry survive?

April 21
Web Graffiti: React to the book you read over spring break – write the title, author, and describe the mood, tone, and theme

Discussion of graffiti we wrote

WNB 21: Answer the questions below about your novel.

For homework: Then create a well-crafted 2-3 paragraph summary of your novel incorporating these answers.

1) Describe the protagonist of your book. What did she/he want? Did he/she get it? Was there an antagonist?

2) What was the main conflict of your book. How did the climax and resolution of your novel deal with it?

3) Why did the author write this book? What kind of audience was he/she targeting? What was the main theme of the piece?

4) Would you recommend this novel to someone else? Why or why not? If so, for what type of audience/individual would it be most appropriate?

Administrivia:
*Return papers
*Announce RAP POETRY SIGN-UP (remind as one of 4th quarter e.c. options)
*plan P4: Post-PAWS-Pizza-Party – MAY 7 and 8. Delegate students to collect money and set up order and ambiance.
*Weekly HW: WNB 21
*4th and 6th: Finish Poster Project Presentations

AGENDA MARCH 31- APRIL 4

Focus: Disability Poster Project

Notes:

*Homework Help on Tuesday after school

*Greg Mortenson, author of Pennies for Peace, will be at JHHS on Wednesday, April 2nd. 8th Graders will attend his speech 6th and 7th periods that day.

*Quarter 3 Recognition is on Friday, April 4th at the Rec. Center from 12:45-2:15. Remember to send swimsuits with your kids if they plan to swim.

Weekly Homework:

Over Spring Break, students need to read a novel that has been recommended to them by another student, teacher, parent, etc. They will be asked to respond in writing to this piece after break. Homework for this week is to decide on a book, check it out, and begin reading.

MONDAY AND TUESDAY:
Work on assembling posters and creating hooks for presentations.

WEDNESDAY AND FRIDAY:
Poster Project Presentations

THURSDAY:
WNB #20 and share: Write a letter to a future teenager -- one who will be your age now in 10 years! What advice can you offer? What warnings are necessary?
Check out/begin reading Spring Break selection

QUARTER 3 REFLECTION

Directions: Respond to the questions below in a typed Word document. PLEASE DOUBLE SPACE. You need to write 3-4 sentences or more for each question. Make sure your paper has the proper heading: name, class, date, assignment.

QUARTER 3 REFLECTION QUESTIONS:

1) Look back at the goals you set for 3rd Quarter. Which ones have you achieved? Which ones are you still working on?

2) How are you feeling as you prepare to transition to high school? Are you ready? Academically? Socially? Emotionally? Be honest. What are you excited about? What are you nervous about?

3) As we enter 4th Quarter, what skills do you feel are most important for you to review and practice before graduation?

4) How have you changed from the beginning of this school year to the end of this school year?

5) Comment on how our visitors have influenced you this quarter: Kati, Molly, the community forum, Tamora Pierce.

6) How has your writing improved over the course of this year so far? Be specific. What still needs to improve in this area?

7) Reflect on our major projects this quarter: Belief Project, Literature Circles, PAWS preparation. What did you gain from these? How could they be improved?

8) What advice would you offer to incoming 8th Grade students?

AGENDA MARCH 17-21

Foci: PAWS Writing and Literature Circles

Notes:

*PAWS TESTING MONDAY AND TUESDAY OF THIS WEEK - kids can bring food and books to read after their testing.

*Friday, March 21 is the end of the quarter. All missing work and extra credit for third quarter (see below) must be in by WEDNESDAY!!!

Weekly Homework:

*Finish Literature Circle books

*Prepare roles for Lit. Circles

MONDAY & TUESDAY:

PAWS WRITING TESTING

WEDNESDAY:
Formal Literature Circle Meeting #4
-Roles
-Questionnaire
-Predict ending of novel

THURSDAY:
Formal Literature Circle Meeting #5
-Roles
-Discuss novel's resolution
-Finalize folders
-plan to present to class on disability from your book/prepare posters

FRIDAY:
Quarter 3 Reflection in iMac lab

Extra Credit Opportunities for 3rd Quarter:

1) Complete podcast and drop it into Open Access Folder: Flammang Final Podcasts

2) Submit work to Wyoming Young Authors Project (deadline is March 14).

3) Submit work to JHMS Literary Magazine - drop into Open Access Folder: Flammang - Lit. Mag. Submissions.

4) Submit Belief Essay to NPR - parent permission needed.

5) Participate in Tamora Pierce's 'Fantasy Writing Workshop' (March 13).

AGENDA MARCH 10-14

Foci: Literature Circles and PAWS Practice

Notes:

*Thanks for attending conferences! It was great to see such a fabulous turnout!

*Young Authors deadline is Friday, March 14

*Formal Lit. Circle meetings this Tuesday and Thursday

*Tamora Pierce will be holding a fantasy writing workshop 7th period this Thursday, March 13. All 8th graders are welcome to attend.

*Homework Help Tuesday after school

*Quarter 3 ends on March 21

*PAWS begins on March 24

Weekly Homework:
*Research your book's disability further.

*Write a 2-chunk paragraph explaining your findings. Use a topic sentence and concluding sentence.

*Lit. Circle reading and role preparation

MONDAY:
-PAWS reading practice
-Finish Daybook pp. 103-106

TUESDAY:
Formal Lit. Circle Meeting #2

WEDNESDAY:

Review homophones, lit. terms, and commas

THURSDAY:
Formal Lit. Circle Meeting #3

FRIDAY:
Punctuation review: semicolons, colons, dashes